And Then We Fell
by Onycha
Summary: Two years after Meteor, AVALANCHE find that the member they thought was gone is making a final plea from beyond the grave. Focuses on Cid and Vincent mainly, with side order of Tifa. This may turn into a Cleris and VinTif. You have been warned, as they sa
1. In which Vincent Arrives

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII belongs to Squaresoft. I only own a few Wotsits.

It had been almost exactly two years since AVALANCHE had defeated Sephiroth, and Holy doing full justice to Meteor. Peace was finally returning to the world, with all traces of the old Shin-Ra Inc. being erased. Towns were becoming the calm, quiet, communities that people desired.

"SHITE!"

Shera sighed. Apart from Rocket Town it would seem. She was very fond of the grumpy man, but Cid's choice language would forever get the better of her patience. Collecting the cups of tea, she wandered back outside.

Almost immediately, the Highwind loomed into view. Cid had taken it upon himself to find out exactly what the Shin-Ra engineers had done to his airship, and instead of just flying the blasted thing and pressing the new buttons, he had decided to take her apart and inspect the mechanics of the new equipment. They were barely half way through the gargantuan task.

Shera walked to the spot were Cid was last working to find someone else standing there.

"Vincent!"

Vincent had become a regular guest at the residence, and, after awhile, Shera had come to enjoy the quiet mans company almost as much as Cid. He had lightened up considerably from the severe man she had met whilst Cloud had been asking about the Tiny Bronco. A dry sense of wit was appearing, much to everyone's happiness.

"Sorry Vince, if I had known you were coming, I would've made you a cup…"

"Don't worry about it, Shera. I'll just drink Cid's,"

Chuckling, she handed the cup over. It probably would've gone cold anyway. And Vincent normally relieved his friend of his tea, somewhere along the line. Looking up she could see the tiny figure of Cid, cursing at life in general. After a moment, he seemed to notice them and begin the long descent towards them.

"So, Vincent, where've you come from this time?"

"Bone Village. Locals said there was a monster lurking around the place"

Shera raised an eyebrow. "And…?"

Vincent snorted. "I wouldn't call it a monster… I've coughed up scarier things,"

"Vincent, don't talk about me like that. It's not nice,"

"Cid, if I coughed up anything even remotely like you, I would start writing my will,"

"Oh charming. Enjoying my tea there, pal?"

"Indeed,"

Shooting Vincent a less then pleasant look, Cid began to wipe of the oil that had decided to part company with the Highwind and join him instead. Reaching over, he liberated his tea from the clutches of Vincent and took a deep slug.

"Aaah, just the ticket. Well, shall we get in before it starts pissin' it down, or do you want to have the wet look?"

It had been over-cast all day, and it finally looked as if the gods were going to let the heavens open. As the trio made their way in, the first drops began to hit the earth.

Navigating his way around the piles of metal that seemingly constructed Cid and Shera's house, Vincent found a room that vaguely looked like the kitchen.

"Sit anywhere ya can, the chairs are propping up Tiny Bronco wings,"

Cid pushed himself onto the work surface, and Shera perched herself on the table. Vincent hunted around for the comfiest looking piece of junk.

"I do not suppose Tifa has contacted you of late?"

Cid creased his forehead in confusion.

"Why the hell should she do that? She can look after herself and Clo…ah. Have I just answered my own question?"

Vincent's expression darkened.

"Afraid so. She told me that he had left ranting about Aeris. After she couldn't find him, she began ringing around AVALANCHE, asking if we had seen him,"

Cid didn't seem all that concerned.

"Oh c'mon, Vince. His done this before. He disappears for a week. Then he comes back in need of a decent bath. Regular as clockwork and Tifa always gets her knickers in a twist about it. You should know, your always the first person she contacts,"

"This is different. Cloud was awake when he saw her… and Tifa saw her too. She's trying to find Cloud so she can join him in the mission to look for her,"

Cid's face lost all of it's colour and emotion. As Cid sat there, his mouth agape, Shera remained concerned.

"But she's dead right? The Captain and you saw her killed… All of AVALANCHE were devastated…"

Vincent nodded, reflecting momentarily. He had only known Aeris for a short time, two weeks to be precise, but he mourned her loss. They all had, and Cloud probably still was, as he had loved the girl. A sharp ring pierced the silence, cutting off his train of thought.

"Valentine… eer… no. Not to my knowledge… Hey! That was uncalled for! Yes, I am… Fine, but his going to like it,"

Vincent passed his somewhat battered PHS over to Cid.

"Barret wants a word with you,"

"Howdy… WHAT?! Forget it, dumbass, I am not gonna do that… WHY? 'cos I said so!... Language… I heard that, too… Look I'm not gonna fly the fuckin' Highwind around the entire world lookin' fer Spike… Because, my thick friend, we wouldn't be able to see him from up there…Huh? Heyheyhey! Don't go!....Bugger"

With a sigh, Cid tossed the PHS back to its owner. Finishing his now stone cold tea, he cast his eyes around the room.

"Captain? Are you going to tell us what's going on?"

"Barret wants AVALANCHE back together, pronto. No exceptions… which, I imagine, is directed at you Vince, seeing as you have managed to avoid all the other reunions,"

Vincent Valentine, ex-TURK, gunslinger extraordinaire, suddenly looked very sheepish.

"I don't mean to. I forget,"

"Liar. I don't know why we put up with you. C'mon Shera, lets get the Highwind bak together. Don't you sneak off anywhere ya lanky git, you can help too…"

A/N: Hello! Eeer… yes. Plot will follow shortly. This chapter was more setting the scene. Did anyone spot the line from FFX-2? Probably, its pretty obvious. It made me laugh though, so it got worked in. Review please! Flames will be put into centres and re-homed accordingly.


	2. In Which Cid gets sick

He was going to puke. He knew it. Ever since he saw that maniac grab the steering wheel, he knew he was doomed. He was going to have to face Barret and the rest of AVALANCHE with his lunch over his front. If he aimed properly, he may get the boy-racer with some after splash, but it was unlikely. Why? Why did the Highwind choose today not to go back together again?

All this and more flew through Cid's mind as Vincent tempted fate with his cornering skills. TURK driving school obviously did not rate the state of the passenger at the destination highly. Yuffie would have a field day with this, if she knew about it. Cid Highwind, the greatest pilot ever to walk this planet, car sick. And Shera gave the keys to Vincent, thinking her car would be in safer hands. Nope, she definitely got _that_ one wrong.

"Cid, are you OK? You kind of…well…green,"

Cid glanced in the mirror, only to find his dark friend was correct. He had indeed, gone a pale green colour.

"Jus'… slow down, I'll be fine,"

Vincent leaned back in his seat and shifted his weight. The speed dropped. A little. Cid forced himself to look out the window, trying to spot a landmark to tell him where he was. The desert edge was almost in sight. That meant about half an hour until Corel. Well, at the speed Vincent was going at, it probably take about ten minutes…

Tifa waited in Barret's front room for the rest of AVALNCHE. To say the young woman looked shaken would've been an understatement. Her normally rouged cheeks were a deathly pale. Cait Sith was in the corner, mildly irritated, as Marlene had taken a liking to his moogle steed and was now being dressed up. He didn't care how funny Reeve found it, that moogle was not meant to be put into a tutu, especially as it was at least six sizes to small for it. Yuffie had arrived a few moments ago, having used one of the few Gold Chocobos that he and Tifa had managed to breed whilst on their journeys.

"Hiya people! Geez, how long has it been? Saaay…didn't furry face have a moogle? Aw, I liked that thing… it was so retro,"

Nanaki raised an eyebrow

"That is possibly the first time that I have heard a moogle being referred to as 'retro'. They're not that old you know,"

"Hey, they were around when Vince and you were young… and that's saying something,"

Nanaki was about to point out that Vincent was quite a bit older then him, when a screech of tyres announced the arrival of another member.

"You've got some cheek, complaining about my driving,"

Cid was sitting on the pavement, outside Barret's house, trying to calm his turbulent stomach. He shot a venomous look at his companion.

"Vincent, it's a well known fact that it takes thirty minutes from Gold Saucer to here. You did it in fifteen!"

"What can I say? I'm a better driver then whoever made that up,"

The pre-assembled AVALANCHE members took in the scene of an incredibly sick Cid and smart-mouthed Vincent. Barret also took note of the fact that the Highwind had been replaced by a small car that was smoking gently.

"Yo fellas, where's da Highwind? Why the hell you bring that lumpa junk?"

Vincent approached them, jerking his thumb back, indicating to Cid.

"The professor here took it apart, and conveniently forgot how to get it all back together again,"

Barret's full attention was now locked on Vincent.

"An' you! Where da hell you been? You ain't shown no tail nor hide since we saw you at Meteor! You got all our asses worried 'bout your scrawny behind!"

"But…"

"But nuthin'! You always do this, leavin' yer friends hangin'?"

Cid felt healthy enough to speak, rather then spew, and came to Vincent's defence.

"C'mon B, that ain't strictly true… He talks on the PHS, an' he down right refuses to leave me 'n' Shera alone. Annoying shit it is to,"

Barret's features softened, but not much.

"Huh. But still, you did a good job of makin' us shit our pants 'bout you… Right! Everyone here? Let's get down ta business!"

AVALANCHE sat haphazardly around Barret's lounge, sitting on chairs, the coffee table, and in the majority of cases, the floor.

Nanaki's wise gaze settled on Tifa.

"Well? I believe that hearing what happened would help,"

Tifa nodded. She hadn't spoken for the best part of the day, and normally melodious voice was thin and cracked.

"Cloud and I… we were sitting in the room behind the bar. We had just closed…"

Flashback

"Good day, huh? How much did we get?"

Tifa grinned at her childhood friend.

"Precisely two thousand gil. Riches indeed!"

Chuckling, Cloud flopped back into the over-stuffed chair. Life was good. After a while, he and Tifa's romance had dissipated, but it left a great friendship in it's place. Although Aeris still haunted his dreams, it wasn't as painful as it once was. Slowly but surely, he was letting the tragedy go.

"What do ya think? Day off tomorrow?"

Shaking her head, Tifa laughed.

"No way lazy bones! We can get a bumper profit for the month, before we blow it in one day,"

It may have been his warrior intuition, the Mako running in his veins, or the JENOVA cells that lived within him, but he felt it. Something… was here. His arms felt prickly. Goosebumps? It wasn't cold…

"Cloud? Something wrong?"

Tifa's expression turned from concern to shock as she saw her breath dancing in front of her, before fading. She bolted into a fighting position. This was not good… Not even the Nibelheim Mansion freaked her out this much. And that was before they found the lab.

A tinny laugh made both the warrior's heads snap upwards. It sounded familiar, almost friendly…

Neither Cloud or Tifa was prepared for the blinding flash that rendered the vision temporarily useless. Then they saw her.

She stood there, smiling gently, waving to them. Looking just as she had done before she was cruelly murdered.

Though her lips did not move, her voice filled the space around them.

"Friends…"

Cloud shakily got to his feet, and tried to approach her. His feet moved, but he didn't gain any ground.

"Don't…you cannot,"

Her voiced sounded strained, as if it was taking all her strength to form the words. Her smile faded.

"New danger…awaken. Planet…begs…help,"

Cloud found his voice.

"Aeris… what danger?"

"Cannot say… do not know…just…sense it,"

"Where is it then? Do you know where?"

End Flashback

"Huh? What happened?"

Tifa shook her head.

"I don't know. That's all I remember. When I realised I was back in the bar, and Cloud had gone,"

Yuffie, who had shocked everyone by remaining silent throughout the entire account, let her surprisingly insightful opinion be known.

"Weeell… maybe Cloud remembered more then you. He knew a bit more so he acted on it. He isn't exactly you're average joe after all, he was probably able to hang around Aeris a bit longer,"

"And in the process helpfully forgot to tell us what's going on, or where his going. Again,"

Reeve's voice crackled over Cait Sith's intercom. He had assumed full control over the robot, and listened in first hand, rather then having to sit through one Cait's lunatic reports on the matter.

Tifa sighed.

"So, what're we going to do? Sit around until Cloud contacts us?"

Cid's shout of indignation made the company jump as a whole.

"WHAT?! You're seriously suggestin' we don't do something until he gives us the word? Fuck, sis that would take years! Let's do something now! We can save Spike from getting his ass fried and help at the same time! Let's get us a destination to get to and fly-"

"No, we won't because the Highwinds boken, remember genius?"

Cid gave a Vincent a look that would've made Sephiroth cringe.

"Shutting up now,"

"Right, me and the smart arse here will go to Rocket Town and fix the Highwind. And Vincent?"

"Yes?"

Cid's voice had a definite edge to it.

"You. Are. Not. Driving,"

"Yes mother,"

Not even Tifa could've blocked the kick in that Cid landed in Vincent's ribs.


End file.
